


In the Dead of Night

by SGALOVER



Series: Rogue Child Service AU [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Human Experimentation, M/M, Military abduction, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Rating May Change, Search and Rescue, tags will change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-05 17:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10313783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SGALOVER/pseuds/SGALOVER
Summary: The Rogues have vanished without a trace.  The only witness is a small 13 year old.  Will that be enough to bring the Rogues home?  Or will the kids have to step up and be the heroes this time?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's so short. It's just the intro.  
> This story was inspired by ShepherdsCalamity

Chez didn't like sleeping in the open. Didn't like being vulnerable. Which is why he liked to sleep in the closets when he visited the Rogue HQ. His favorite was Mr. Snart's. He kept it clean, floor clear and clothing shoved to one side. Mr. Snart also stayed up very late so when Chez started awake from a nightmare he would be comforted by the light coming from under the door. Proof that he wasn't alone. Sometimes he would even hear Mr. Snart muttering plans to himself. But no matter what it always made him feel safe. At least it did. Until one night changed all that.

Chez was shocked awake by a yell. He wouldn't have known that's what it had been if he didn't hear the muffled version right after. There was a crash. The light coming from under the door vanished. A few thuds. More muffled yelling. A final loud thud followed by absolute silence. Chez didn't even dare to breath. He was terrified. His terror only grew when he heard a loud scream. That was Miss Shawna. A roar of rage, Mr. Mardon. Yet again the noise was short lived. 

A crackle, like a radio, and a voice said, “All targets neutralized. Starting extraction.” shortly after that there was the sound of a zip tie restraint and then boots dragging across carpet. Chez didn't know how long he sat there. Too terrified to move or speak for fear the mystery attackers would take him as well. All he could do was silently cry in the dark. Memories of soldiers and screaming the only thing filling his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rogue's disappearance is discovered.

It's Brandon who figures it out first. He stopped by the HQ for a little chat with Len. There was trouble on the East Side of the Bridge. A bunch of newbie Bangers were hanging around and propositioning some of the kids for various reasons. No one was stupid enough to say yes to anything of course. The Rogues had taught them better then that. But they had guns so none of the kids could really chase them away. Len would know what to do just like always.

The moment Brandon saw the door he knew something was wrong. It was wide open and swinging on slightly damaged hinges. Running inside Brandon spotted more signs of trouble. A small puddle of blood and a broken glass of what was once milk were just outside the kitchen area. There was a dropped book at the edge of the bedroom hallway. The first room Brandon popped his head inside was Roy's. His bedding was ruffled but other than that it looked fine. The next room, Mick's, had a bit more damage. The sheets were thrown off the bed and a chair was overturned. Lisa's room was immaculate as always. Miss Shawna's room, the one she shared with Mark, was absolutely trashed. There were papers scattered everywhere, the dresser was on it's side, a broken wall mirror lay scattered in hundreds of pieces across the floor. With terror growing in his gut Brandon raced past Hartley and Axel's room. It would be pointless to check for the couple. They had been staying over at the newly acquired HQ for the past month. Brandon would check there as soon as he could though. 

Brandon paused at the last room. His hand hovered over the knob. Brandon jumped slightly when he heard a sound from inside. He pressed his ear against the wood and listened. The sound came again, still just as soft as before. Brandon furrowed his brow as he opened the door slowly to peer inside. The room was almost as trashed as Shawna and Mark's. The only difference was the small splash of blood on one pale wall. Brandon's gaze landed on the bed and he gasped, “Chez!” The black haired teen is curled up in the center of Len's messy bed. He is making soft sobbing sounds while clutching at the sheets so hard his knuckles are white. As Brandon rushes forward he hears muttered words in a language he doesn't know. Usually when that happens it means the small teen is overcome with memories of his old home. No one knew exactly where that was as Chez refused to give that information out. But it was bad enough of a place to leave permanent scars, both mental and physical. Brandon let's his hands hover over the shivering form, “Chez? Can you hear me?”

It takes a bit more prompting but finally the whispers stop. Watery eyes make contact with Brandon's own, “They are gone.”

“I can see that.” Brandon has to remain calm. Just like he always does. Just like Len taught him. Brandon crawls onto the bed and lays down beside Chez so the younger boy can see him clearly. He reaches out slowly to bring the small form to his chest, “Come here buddy.” small arms latch around his middle and the crying starts again. This time much louder and with heaving shoulders. 

As Chez cries Brandon notices the closet over the younger teen's shoulder. It's partially open. Chez must have been staying the night again. He did that sometimes when the nightmares got too bad. There was another small spatter of blood on the sliding doors leading to the small space. It made Brandon shiver. He was no stranger to violence. It was part of life by now. But seeing it in what he considered a safe space was disturbing. The Rogues always made it seem like nothing was a match for them. Standing bold as brass in the face of every challenge thrown their way either as a group or as a single individual. Trying to understand that something had beaten them, that something had whisked them away in the dead of night, was mind numbing. But the evidence was all around. No way to block it out or explain it away. The Rogues were in trouble.

“What we do now?” Chez sniffled into his chest once the sobs had run their course

“We fight.” Brandon answered without hesitation, “It's what they would do for us.”

\---------------------BREAK----------------

“This can't be happening man.” Derek mutters at the table top in front of him

“Feels like it's happening.” Thomas replied in a blank tone

“I want my mom and dad.” Mitchel sniffed as he hugged tightly to Rosa's left side

Becky was on Rosa's right. She was holding the younger teen's shoulders tightly as silent tears feel from Rosa's eyes, “We'll get them back.” she said thickly

“Damn right we will.” Brandon growled from the head of the table. It was the same one Len used for planing jobs. It felt strange to be standing around it without him, “We just have to figure out what to do next.”

“Well what do we know?” Becky asked softly, “Other than the fact they were soldiers?”

All eyes turn to Chez who hasn't spoken for about an hour now. He shrugs, “They were quiet, quick. I hid.” the tears started fresh, “I was coward.”

“No.” Brandon says firmly, “You were smart. If you had come out who knows what might have happened. You hid and waited for help. That was the smart choice.”

“Yeah bro. You did good.” Derek assured quietly

“So, soldiers. Why would soldiers want the Rogues?” Brandon asked the table at large

“Could be the FBI or something.” Derek ventured, “Ya know, pick up the super bad criminals to lock in a deep hole somewhere.”

“Len wouldn't let that happen. He's to careful to piss off the Feds.” Thomas rebutted

“Maybe it's about the Metas?” Rosa theorized

“That's got to be part of it.” Mitchel said with another sniff, “Mom and dad always said it might happen someday. That people take advantage of power.”

“Are we sure Hartley and Axel are gone too?”Derek asked hopefully, “They might just be out of town or something.”

“There were powder burns in the new HQ.” Brandon reported regretfully, “The kind Axel's flash grenades leave behind.”

“So not just the Metas than.” Rosa shut her eyes tightly, “Why else would they take everyone like that?”

“Maybe it's for a bunch of different reasons.” Becky said with a tone that indicated she was deep in thought, “I mean, yeah, they all work together. But they didn't always. And to do certain stuff they wouldn't need to stick together. Also, the extra people could be used as leverage against the ones these soldiers really want.”

“All of those are great ideas but still it's all just theories.” Thomas said with a frustrated sigh, “We need more Intel.”

“Where are we supposed to get it?” Brandon asked, “We don't have any contacts like that.”

“Well I wouldn't say that.” Becky shrugged, “I mean, the Flash might help if we asked him right? He's sort of friends with the Rogues or something isn't he?”

“It's more like an arrangement.” the entire table answered as one

Becky blinked, “Um...right. But doesn't that cover kidnappings and stuff?”

“It might.” Brandon thought the idea over in his head

“I know at least Doc Snow would help.” Rosa gave a small grin, “She's got the hots for Mick.”

“True.” Brandon tried to think of any other option. It didn't take him long to realize this was the only one, “I'll go. The rest of you stay here in case anyone else shows up. Don't let them in. Say the Rogues left town for the week. We need to keep a lid on this or else there could be consequences on the street. Are we all agreed?”

\---------------BREAK-------------

Len groaned and blinked his eyes slowly. His head was swimming. His stomach roiled. After a few moments he realized he also couldn't see. The panic grew and fell away quickly once Len figured out that he was just in a dark place as apposed to blind. Then the panic returned when Len tried to move and found he couldn't. Sure he could squirm but something was holding him down to a hard surface. Len struggled a little harder and felt bare skin rub over metal. He was naked! Why the fuck was he naked?! He opened his mouth to call out for answers but for some reason the sound wouldn't come. It was like his throat wouldn't work.

Len nearly had a heart attack when a deep voice echoed around the dark space, “Please be calm Mr. Snart. You are currently in no danger. I'm sure you have questions and worries. Unfortunately I can't tell you much. But you should be happy to hear that this will all be for the greater good.” A bright light appeared with no warning directly in Len's line of sight. He would have screamed if he were able at the pain this caused his eyes. It took about a minute for him to readjust. When he did he felt his fear rise to almost paralyzing levels. There was a man standing next to Len. He wore a white lab coat and a cruel smile. His hair was almost pure white and his wrinkles made him look about 70 years old, “Now please hold as still as possible for this next part. Otherwise I might make a mistake.” he holds up a long needle, “And we wouldn't want that now would we?”

\--------------BREAK---------------

Brandon looked up at the STAR Labs building. It was currently functioning as a museum of some sort. A bit public for a Hero Lair but he wouldn't really know he supposed. Brandon walked around to the back where there was a secret door. Rosa said it was how she got in and out when Derek was injured a month ago. Brandon hoped they didn't change the code very often. Much to his delight the code was still the same. He walked as quietly as he could through the unfamiliar hallways listening for voices. Eventually he heard echos coming from a doorway off to the right.

Brandon stuck his head in and almost gasped aloud. That was speedster lightning. The color could only mean one thing, “Kid Flash.” Brandon whispered to himself in slight awe

The lighting stopped and a young man appeared in the center of the room. Brandon watched as the dark skinned guy walked over to a desk and grabbed a water bottle. He chugged half of it in one go and sighed, “Damnit. Still not fast enough.”

Brandon supposed this was as good a time as any to reveal himself. And Len always said it was important to make a good entrance, “You looked pretty fast to me.”

The guy turned and stared in surprise, “What the...how did you get in here? Who are you?!”

“My name is Brandon and I need to talk to the Flash. It's about the Rogues.”

“What are they up to now?” the guy looked ready to jump into action

“I have no idea. They were abducted last night from their homes.” Brandon took a deep breath, “I need your help to find them.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids acquire some useful tools and learn a bit more about the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I read this over a couple of times and I think I got most of the mistakes. I was just so excited to post this that I didn't take longer to edit it. If you see something big be sure to let me know please.

Brandon glared from the handcuff around his wrist to the two men standing over him. One was a guy named Wally, aka Kid Flash. The other one was named Cisco. If Brandon remembered right he was Lisa's main squeeze of sorts. Currently they were both glaring at him while he was trapped in an office chair. The lab around them looked like it was used for building complicated things, “So when does the Flash get here? This is sort of a time sensitive matter.”

“So you've said.” Cisco sounds grim, “Are you sure they were taken? They didn't just run off for a super secret heist or something?”

“I'm only telling this story once. We wait for the Flash.” Brandon refused to loose all control of this situation. He had to keep it together for his family.

“Do you even know how much trouble you're in?” Wally asked in slight frustration

“Other then a minor trespassing charge I don't see the issue.” Brandon quipped back

“You broke into our Super Hero Hide Out!” Cisco declared

“I say again, it's trespassing. It's not like your recognized by any organization to have superior power. You aren't classified or anything. And I haven't even taken something. If anything I could charge you for holding me here without letting me have access to the justice system.”

“You...wha...how...Who the hell are you even? Junior lawyer?!” Cisco looked like he had sucked on a lemon while Wally looked reluctantly impressed

“You get answers when I see the Flash.” Brandon rolled his eyes, “I swear it's like talking to a wall.”

A gust of wind and there stood the man himself, “Well, answer the man.” he said seriously

“Sure.” Brandon gave a hard smile, “My name is Brandon. I'm what you might call a friend of Leonard Snart. I went by the HQ for the Rogues this morning and the door was hanging wide open. There was a lot of evidence of struggle including broken furniture and small amounts of blood. I found one of my other friends, Chez, in Len's room. He said that last night soldiers came and took all the Rogues away.”

There was dead silence for almost a minute, “How does Chez know this?” Flash asked

“Sometimes he sleeps in Len's closet.” all three men wrinkled their noses and Brandon sighed, “He's got some PTSD stuff going on. Sleeping in Len's closet helps sometimes. Don't ask me why.”

“And you're sure everyone is gone?” Cisco sounded less angry and more anxious now as he butted in on the Flash's questioning 

“Yeah. I triple checked the usual places.” Brandon gives them all a glare, “So can you help us find them or not?”

“Of course we'll find them.” Flash said without hesitation, “I'll go straight to the HQ and start looking for clues. I have a few out of town contacts that can check out the soldier lead. You've got nothing to worry about.”

“Almost sounds like you think I'm sitting this out.” Brandon did a special little pressure trick on the cuffs holding him to the chair. The trick, which Len had taught him, worked perfectly. The cuffs popped open and Brandon stood, “I don't think you understand the situation here. I came to you for resources, not to hand the torch over. This is still my party Flash.”

Cisco makes a hollow chuckle, “He really is like a mini Snart isn't he.” it wasn't a question 

“Oh no.” Brandon counters, “I've already decided I'm going to be a hero, not a villain.” he gives the Flash a sharp grin, “And I'm going to be 100 times better at it than you.” he heads for the door and is almost out when a woman appears. She's wearing a white doctor coat and looks like she might cry any second. This must be Doctor Snow, “I'll get them back.” he isn't sure who the tears are really for. It could be for Mick or it could be for Miss Shawna's baby. Either way his statement would work. He walked past her without another word. Len would have been so proud of his exit.

\--------------BREAK--------------

“Lenny? Please wake up.”

Len's eyes fluttered open as his brain swam with memories, “Don't cry Lisa.” he slurred, “Dad might hear.”

“Oh Lenny.” another soft sob

“Come on buddy. Come back to us.” a large hand slapped the side of his face lightly

“Mick?” all at once Len's memories returned. His eyes snapped open and he sat upright. Len's gaze traveled around as his mind processed the surroundings almost instantly. There wasn't much to see because the room was so dark. Shadows of people, familiar silhouettes. Len counted them and wasn't sure if he should feel relived or saddened that the number was 7. The exact number of his crew, “Is everyone alright? I can't tell. It's too dark.” a thick silence, “What?”

“It's not dark Lenny.” Lisa's words sound so broken

“Oh.” Len tries not to faint while bringing a single shaking hand up to his face. He can feel fresh stitches around his eyes. They aren't covered by any bandages. And despite his fingers feeling the injury he can't actually feel any pain or discomfort, “What did...” his words catch in his throat

There is a shuddering gasp. It sounds like Shawna. A soft sob, Hartley's voice instead of Lisa's. A familiar hand lands on Len's shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze, “Your eyes are a different color buddy. And it ain't all...flesh.”

Len can't hold back a half scream at the very implications. More hands land on his body. He feels Lisa's familiar frame push against his side, “It'll be alright Lenny. We'll get out of here.”

_But where is here?_ Len thought as he just let the others anchor him.

\-------------------BREAK------------------

“So?” Rosa asked the second Brandon walked back through the door

“Flash is coming here to check the place.” Brandon said, “He thinks he's taking over.”

“But we aren't gonna let him right?” Thomas asked with a little heat in his tone

“Of course not.” Brandon continued to move forward until he reached Hartley's room, “We're going to spy on them and use their information for ourselves.”

“What?!” was the chorus of surprise that followed his statement 

Brandon opened the door and headed for the bedroom closet. He opened the door and started digging around in the back for a special bag. Several footsteps thundered into the room behind him. Once he found what he was looking for he pulled the cloth bag out while explaining, “I caught Hartley messing with this one time. He came up with it about a year ago after the last time he got nabbed by Team Flash. Hartley said he left behind a few bugs in their systems.” Brandon opened the bag and pulled out a laptop from inside, “He used those bugs to listen in from time to time. He said Len knew but didn't want to hear anything. Apparently Len felt it was like cheating. But Hartley liked to spy on them sometimes.”

“Yeah, cause that's not creepy or anything.” Derek muttered

“So Hartley's a peeper. That doesn't help us.” Rosa pointed at the booting up laptop now placed on Hartley's desk, “We don't know his password.”

“Don't need to.” Brandon pulled a paperclip from his pocket and started to straighten it out, “Len's not the only one who taught me tricks.” he half muttered to himself while slowly inserting the bit of metal into the side of the computer which was now asking for a password. After a slow swivel of the thin metal Brandon applied some pressure. The loading screen changed to a background, “Bingo!”

“That was neat.” Mitchel said from his place peeking around the door 

“Mitchel, I thought you were sleeping.” Becky broke from Rosa's side and went to put a hand through the boy's hair, “You okay?”

“Nightmares.” he didn't really explain as he walked over to stand next to Brandon, “Is this gonna help find my mom and dad?”

“Yeah kiddo. We just have to wait for the Flash to lead us to them.” Brandon started searching through programs on the computer, “Pack up anything we'll need. We're moving to the new HQ. And find someplace safe for Chez to crash. He's got too many issues to deal with something like this.”

\--------------BREAK-----------------

Barry frowned down at the ground as he explained the situation to Lyla, “The witness said a bunch of soldiers kidnapped the Rogues. No warning and hardly any evidence, at least as far as I found. This was a pro job.”

“And unfortunately it's not the first time I'm hearing this.” Lyla sounded exhausted all of a sudden, “Barry, I'm so sorry.”

“What do you mean you're sorry?” Barry hissed as dread formed in his gut, “Do you mean you won't help?”

“It's not that I won't. It's that we know only slightly more than you do even after two years. Ever since Waller died there were rumors. Scientists for projects of her's decided to split from ARGUS before they were discovered by the new leadership. For a while rumors were all they were. And then the first group of bodies showed up.”

Barry's blood froze, “Bodies?”

“Six of them. All with physical modifications which their bodies rejected. After a little digging we found they were all top assassins. We couldn't figure out what happened to them. Pegged it as them signing up for some sort of experimental program and not surviving. Then it happened again in a different country. The body modifications were more extreme and better crafted. It looked like one of the group had survived the transformation only to be shot in the back of the head. That group were identified as mercenaries. It's happened a few more times since. Each time the modifications become more complex and more people survive their implantation. But none of them have ever been found alive. The only thing we've been able to determine is that the main person behind it is probably Dr. Petrikov. I've read his old files and they are...disturbing.”

Barry thought he might be sick, “Lyla, I have to find them.”

“Why is this such a big deal?” Lyla asked though her tone was not unkind, “This sounds way too personal for you to just be looking for a bunch of criminals.”

“There are a lot of reasons this is personal for me.” Barry admitted, “But one of my main concerns is a woman named Lashawn Baez. She's currently 5 months pregnant.”

“Oh sweet Christ.” Lyla gasped, “I'm sorry.”

“You already said that.” Barry's tone was tense. He didn't want to yell at Lyla. She was just doing her job, “Do you have anything at all? I'll take leads even if they're cold. Maybe we could look at something from a new angle.”

“Well there is one thing. It's been useless up until now because we only ever found the bodies without knowing anyone was missing to begin with. Judging by the evidence in the area surrounding the dump sites there was always some sort of military facility. Usually abandoned, sometime just for storage. A place no one would usually go. They were always clean when we checked them out but we figured the perpetrators just had a good cleaning crew. You have anywhere around Central that fits that description?”

“A few.” Barry tried to ignore the anxiety growing in his chest as he thought of the facility where Professor Stein had once been held, “I might need some back up. Feel like lending a hand?”

“You bet.”

\-------------BREAK----------------

“What is he saying?” Mitchel asked while tugging on Brandon's sleeve. The kid had been hanging around for the past hour while Brandon watched over STAR Labs. Everyone else had found a place to sleep in the new HQ. 

Brandon pulled the earphones off his head and tried with all his might not to cry. The things he had just heard were horrifying. And eventually he would have to tell the others. Would have to tell Mitchel. Otherwise they would never be able to form a plan. He had to start this whole thing off with a confidence that would keep the others focused. He could not break now. Somehow Brandon managed a small smile, “I'll explain in a few minutes Mitchel. Do me a favor and wake everyone. It's time to start planning.”

“Alright!” Mitchel ran as fast as he could from the room, hope shining in his eyes

The second the kid was out of sight Brandon ran for the nearest bathroom and emptied his stomach into a toilet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So I'm going to try and update at least once a week from now on. Or at least at close to a week between chapters as I can get. Thanks everyone for reading as always. Don't forget to let me know what you think with a kudos or a quick comment. Have a great week.


	4. Chapter 4

“We're going to kill them all right?” Derek asks softly while staring hard at his lap

Mitchel is busy sobbing quietly into Brandon's chest. Rosa and Becky are holding each other tightly. Thomas looks a little green. Brandon can sympathize. He's glad he decided not to share the actual recording with them, “Those are the rules.” Brandon answers Derek darkly while running a hand through Mitchel's hair, “We need to come up with a plan as soon as possible.”

A minute of silence passes before Becky speaks in a half whisper, “I might know a place.”

“What?” Brandon asks

“A place where they could keep the Rogues.” all eyes pin Becky in place, “It's half way between the city and Iron Heights. Just a little farther East. I found it once when I was camping out in the woods. The only road that leads to it is made of dirt. It was definitely Military at some point.”

“How big is this place?” Thomas asks with a rough voice

“Pretty big.”

“Could you find it again if you had to?” Brandon asked

“Defiantly.”

“Okay, we know where to go.” Rosa sniffed and wiped at her eyes, “What do we do once we get there?”

“We smash.” the whisper is so soft that they almost don't hear it. Mitchel pulls away from Brandon and takes a deep breath. His little face is set with grim determination, “I can get us in. Daddy taught me how to fight.”

“Mitchel.” Brandon got down on one knee so he's eye to eye with the young boy, “You're too small buddy. And your mom and dad would kill me if anything happened to you.”

“I have powers.” he says sternly, “None of you do.”

“He has a point.” Derek backs Mitchel up, “And without him we probably won't get past the front gate. From what you said these are some seriously fucked up guys. They probably won't think twice about shooting kids who cause trouble.”

“He's just a baby!” Rosa snaps, “We can't bring him with us!”

“And what about me!?” Derek almost yells, “Are you leaving me behind too!? Cause I'll tell you right now that would be damned stupid. I'm the best getaway driver in Central. Or at least I will be one day.”

“Forget the getaway driving. You're the only one who knows how to drive period.” Thomas puts in with slight reluctance, “And I honestly don't know what good I am. I only know a little bit of self defense.”

“But you're fast and athletic. Not to mention you jump around like a spider monkey. I saw you climb a sheer brick wall last week.” Becky says with a small smile, “You could probably do some neat stuff with that.”

“And Rosa has been taking those Kung Fu lessons.” Derek points out

“I'm good with a knife.” Becky pulls a butterfly knife from her back pocket and does a few little tricks with it

Brandon remembers all of the training Len had given him with guns. Not to use as weapons of course. But in case he ever had to use one to defend himself. Now he was going to use those skills to protect his family. Brandon takes one last deep breath before pushing the gears in his mind to start turning, “Alright, we'll all go. Just give me a few hours to come up with something.”

“A few hours?!” Rosa asked in outraged shock

“It's the best I can do.” Brandon tries his hardest not to yell. His stress is starting to make him dizzy, “I'd rather take at least a day but it sounds like we don't have time for that.”

“Yeah.” Becky moves for the door, “I'll go make some coffee.”

Thomas follows, “I'll go and keep monitoring Hartley's bugs. Maybe the Flash has some sort of plan we can piggy back on.”

“Good idea.” Brandon looks down at Mitchel. It breaks his heart to see such a hard expression on such a young face, “Are you sure about this Mitchel? It's going to be really dangerous and scary.”

“I want to protect my mom and dad.”

“Alright than.” Brandon motions at Derek to come over, “Derek, take Mitchel to get something dark colored to wear. This is a stealth mission. And see if you can find us something to use as body armor.”

“On it.” Derek takes Mitchel's arm and leads the boy from the room

Rosa and Brandon sit in silence for a few moments, “We're going to get them back right?”

“Of course we are.” Brandon assured

“In one piece?”

\-----------------BREAK--------------

“Leave him alone.” Len growls at the blurry shapes before him. He isn't sure how long he was asleep. But he had woken to a serious commotion. A few overheard sentences and it wasn't hard to figure out the situation. People had come to take Hartley away. Most of the Rogues had already been downed by some sort of taser weapon. Shawna hadn't been able to fight back because of her condition. The Metas were powerless thanks to some sort of energy coming from the lights so they had no advantages. Len had only just manage to stumble, half blind, between the presumed guards and Hartley's cowering form.

“Move away.” said a blunt voice

“No!” Len took a step back to cover Hartley better

“You were warned.” a blur of movement and Len feels pain radiate from the center of his torso. He's been zapped.

Len falls to his knees and tries to catch his breath. He can hear Hartley screaming. Axel is calling out for his lover. Len tries to crawl across the ground but a booted foot hits the center of his back hard. A few more screams sound before a metallic clang cuts all noise off abruptly. Several minutes are spent mostly in silence. The only sounds are muffled sobs and whimpers along with a groan from Mick who appears to have suffered a head injury of some kind.

“No.” he groans and starts across the ground again, “No.” his fingers scratch across the cold metal of the door, “Give him back. Please. He's just a kid.” Len's words lack any sort of energy. He's drained from the fever that fell over him not long ago. Shawna said the cause was his body rejecting the weird implants in his eyes. If his body didn't overcome it soon he would probably either get a deadly infection and die or go totally blind. The thought of Hartley sharing a similar fate makes Len's stomach churn anew. He has enough energy for one final smack against the metal with his open palm, “Give him back.” the world goes black again

\------------BREAK-----------------

Barry nibbled on his lip as he looked over the people gathered in the room. When he had asked Lyla for backup he had expected some soldiers. Not most of Team Arrow. For some reason Curtis and Rene seemed especially worried about the Rogues. Even Sara looked a tad more annoyed than usual. The fact that they had no plan so far wasn't helping the mood any.

“Come on Oliver. Just let me or Wally go do some recon. Jesse can stay here in case something goes wrong.” Barry tries to argue his point again

“And I'm telling you that isn't a plan.” Oliver was like a broken record, “The last thing we need is them getting their hands on you. They obviously have the ability to hold Meta Humans. It would be foolish to think they aren't prepared for you too.”

“Pretty boy is right.” 

All eyes move to the doorway. The sight that greets them is shocking. Barry's eyes quickly move over the 6 figures. Brandon is at the front. He's wearing what looks like full tactical gear. The guns strapped to his hips only enforced the image. On his left is the boy Thea had once shot with an arrow. Barry thinks his name is Thomas. He's wearing all over black and a light tactical vest. Otherwise he looks ready to move and do it fast. On Brandon's right is Rosa. She's wearing the same thing as Thomas except her hands are wrapped and she has a knife strapped to each hip. The girl standing next to Rosa is unknown to Barry. She looks about 17 and has long brown hair that is pulled into a pony tail. She is dressed in a slightly heavier armor like Brandon but has several throwing knives strapped to her vest as well as a butterfly knife strapped to each thigh. Derek is standing next to Thomas. He's dressed in light padding and, for some reason, a racing helmet was tucked under one of his arms. The last figure is the most shocking. The kid can't be older than 8. He's wearing the same body armor as Brandon and has shaggy brown hair falling in his eyes. Eyes that are filled with determination and anger. Brandon moves forward to make himself the center of attention.

“But they aren't prepared for us.” Brandon's eyes roam the room and he shrugs, “I guess you could be a good distraction though.”

“A distraction would definitely make it easier.” Derek commented, “Less work for me.”

“True.” Thomas nodded almost sagely, “Can't get the car too banged up if we want a clean exit.”

“Excuse me!” Oliver takes a quick step forward and looks conflicted about reaching for a weapon, “Who are you and what are you doing here!? This isn't a game!”

“No shit playboy.” Brandon deadpans, “Who we are doesn't matter. What we're here for is simple, to make a final offer. Either join us or stay out of our way.”

“You can't be serious!” Barry zips forward to stand in front of Brandon. The kid is only an inch shorter than Barry but the speedster tries to use every bit of it, “I thought I told you we would handle this.”

“You did. And I told you this wasn't your show Flash.” Brandon motions to himself and his friends, “We care more about the Rogues than you do. We owe them more than we can say. We are going to be the ones to save them.” Brandon pokes Barry in the chest, right in the Flash symbol, “ _Don't_ be near that base in three hours. You'll ruin our plans.” with that Brandon turns and heads for the door. The others follow without a word.

Felicity makes a choking noise, “We aren't just going to let them do that are we?” she asks when the sound of footsteps fades

“Of course not.” Barry says firmly, “We'll beat them to it. Suit up everyone. Plan or no plan we go in an hour.”

\-----------------BREAK-------------

Derek taps his fingers on the steering wheel, “Are you sure this is going to work?” he asks Brandon who sits next to him in the van

“I'm sure.” Brandon answers without taking the binoculars away from his eyes, “They would never let us do this if they knew. But we still need that distraction. The only way to get it is if they go in without a plan and start screwing up. So we had to force their hand. Heroes never want to make kids feel bad by actually telling them no. I guarantee you that in an hour they are going to head out for that base with an even shakier plan than us.”

“This stuff is too tight.” comes a soft grumble from Brandon's other side. Without looking Brandon reached over to give Mitchel's shoulder a squeeze.

“I know the outfit is tough bud. But it's the best we could do with how much time we had. As it is Len is going to be pissed that we cut up all his body armor so it would fit us.” 

“He'll kiss our asses is what he'll do.” Rosa assures as she leans over the back of the seat, “We're about to save all of their butts. I can hold this over Mick's head for the rest of his life.”

“Only if the armor plating holds.” Derek says seriously as he sneaks a side glance at Rosa, “You sure those welds are solid?”

“It's not my best work but it'll dame sure hold up to a lot.” Rosa assured just as seriously while patting the van wall next to her

“I still can't believe this is real.” Becky half whispered from the back seat, “This is way crazier than anything I've ever done. But at the same time I can't think of anything I would rather be doing.”

“Welcome to the family.” Brandon cracked, looking away from his target for long enough to shoot her a reassuring grin over the seat back. Almost exactly an hour later there was a flash of lighting. A large van crept from the back of STAR Labs. It was tailed by two motorcycles. Brandon put down his binoculars and fastened his seat belt, “Let's do this guys.”

\-----------------BREAK---------

“Damnit Lenny.” Mick mutters as he looks down at his best friend. The man is pale, sweating, and his stitches have started to bleed slightly. Lisa is curled up next to her brother, the man's nudity making no difference. In a situation like this there wasn't much use being squeamish. You just didn't let your eyes wander was all. Least the bastards could have done was give his friends some pants. Mick reaches down and strokes his hand over his friends head, “You just gotta hang on for me. We'll figure this out. But we need you for that.”

Mick turns when he hears Axel give another loud sob. He's curled up in the corner with Roy, Mark, and Shawna. Mick can't blame the kid. Look what these bastards had done to Len. Who knew what the Hell was happening to Hartley right now! Or what the fuck was going to happen to them all by the end! They had to find a way out before....

The door opened with a loud metal creak. The sound echoed off the concrete walls and floor. The only good thing about the room was that it was heated to prevent them from freezing to death. Before anyone can move Hartley's limp form is dropped on the floor. The door slams shut so loud that it leaves Mick's ears ringing. Axel is across the room like a shot. Before he manages to wrap himself around Hartley Mick gets a short look at the young genius. He's been stripped like Len had been. He also appears mostly unharmed except for two sets of stitches that still bleed slightly. One over each ear. And something metallic looking glinted behind one of those ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, shit is starting to come together. Only a few chapters left. As always I'd love to know what you guys thing. If you see any major grammar or spelling errors please let me know. Everyone have a great week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rescue begins!

The night was filled with the sound of fighting. Bullets, blades, and blasts filled the air in front of the supposedly abandoned Military facility. With all the confusion it was easy for Thomas to scale the back fence and cut the wires for the cameras along the top of it. A quick look around showed the area was currently clear. He dropped down and put his cutters to the task of the fence. Half a minute later he had a nice sized portion cut open. He waved his hands and other figures appeared from the thin tree line surrounding the base. Brandon led the charge, a gun drawn but not lifted to point at anything. Rosa and Becky followed close behind with Mitchel between them. When they got through the hole Thomas whispered, “Derek's in position?”

“Yeah. Don't use the radio until we absolutely have to. It'll probably get picked up by someone else and we need to keep this whole thing a surprise.” Brandon scans the yard again, “We don't know how long we have. The blueprints Hartley lifted from the STAR Labs computers said they have a holding facility near the back, just a little East from our current position.” he takes a steadying breath, clearly trying to overcome his own emotions for his next words, “And there are testing labs to the West. You all know where you're going?”

“We're with you.” Thomas said while motioning between himself and Mitchel

“We're on the lab.” the girls say as one

They split without another word. Thomas fights down his nausea at the fleeting thought it might be the last time he sees those girls. He can't give in to doubt and fear. Not now when the mission was going on. He looks down at Mitchel and feels another sort of nausea rise in him. This kid is acting more adult than any of them. He hasn't said a thing since they pulled away from STAR Labs 30 minutes ago. He's the youngest of them all and he's the most fearless. Determined to get his parents and unborn little sister back. Thomas has no doubt the situation would be the same powers or no powers. Thomas continues moving forward and ignores how cold his fingertips feel.

They round a corner and meet their first bit of resistance. It's a man who looks like he's unsure what he should be doing. Reluctant to abandon his post at the door but wanting to join the bigger fight. His distraction is his downfall. Brandon hardly pauses to take aim before he fires. A round hits the man shoulder and he goes down. Before the soldier can reach for his own weapon there is a short flash of green. The energy ball hits the man and he seizes. Green lightning ripples over his skin before he goes still. Thomas doesn't care if that means the soldier is dead or unconscious. The soldier isn't just following orders as part of a sanctioned operation. Brandon had been clear in his explanation. This was an independent faction, not part of the military. And the main point of the mission was that everybody got out alive. You or them rules.

Using a card found on the belt of the still soldier they get through the door. Brandon takes shots at the security cameras, not afraid to be discovered because of all the commotion. The fighting out front seems to have moved inside. Even better for the plan. Brandon peeked around a corner and instantly pulls back. The familiar pings of bullets popped off the back wall. Brandon turned to Mitchel, “Too many for me. You're up little man.”

Mitchel takes a deep breath and rubs his hands together. The familiar green energy starts to glow. Mitchel separates his hands slowly, one going up and one going down. The energy spreads until it fills the whole hallway snugly. Mitchel walks forward and turns the corner without fear. The bullets come again but this time they bounce away. A few screams indicate some of those bullets found new targets. Without waiting for backup Mitchel charges. The yell he lets out as he does so is filled with anger. The energy field keeps up with him and soon he has all the men at the opposite end of the hallway pressed against a wall. Thomas is only a step behind Brandon as they chase after the small boy. They stop behind Mitchel who still has his field up and is slowly pushing his hands forward. The men on the other side of the field look like they might be screaming. No sound comes form inside the field though. Eventually the screaming and struggling stops. Mitchel lowers his hand and 8 heavily armed men hit the floor. Thomas's only thought at that moment is that he's glad Mitchel is on their side.

“This way.” Brandon says as he lays a hand on Mitchel's shoulder. The boy jumps but follows instructions without hesitation. The few soldiers they meet from that point are on their own and no match for the combined efforts of Mitchel and Brandon. It's only when they reach a heavy metal door that they run into problems. The labels on the wall indicated this was the way they had to go. After pressing his ear to the door Brandon says there are people on the other side.

Thomas looks around and spots the air vent. It's just big enough for him to fit through. He knows the vent won't hold out long but it's position indicates it's main purpose is to provide circulation past that damned security door. Without explanation he grabs Brandon's spare gun and scrambles up the wall. He ignores Brandon calling out to him and kicks in the vent door while using the corner to keep himself in the air. After that it's a simple matter of crawling through. The vent is short, just like Thomas thought. His whole body doesn't even need to go through. He can see out the other side. There are two men on the other side of the security door. Thomas takes aim and lets loose. He's not a good shot but at such close range and with a full magazine he manages just fine. Though the victory is sour because the loud sound of the gun inside the vent is like sticking his head in a cannon. 

Thomas isn't sure how long he was dazed for before something grabs his ankles and pulls him out. It's Brandon and he looks pissed. His wrath is lost on Thomas though because Thomas can hear nothing but a loud ringing sound. He blinks up at Brandon and shouts, “I can't hear shit. The door is clear. Let me go back through and I can open it.”

Brandon stops moving his lips and just nods. Though he still looks pissed.

\-----------------BREAK--------------

Rosa kicks another scientist in the face and grins, “This is really satisfying.”

A soldier goes down with a scream and a stream of blood. Becky stands there with a single blade raised. Her breathing is heavy and her eyes are wide, “I don't know what you're talking about babe. I'm going to have nightmares for years. You're lucky I like your pops so damned much.”

“I know babe.” Rosa moves forward and peeks around a corner, “Trust me, Mick will make it up to you. All the booze and therapy you could ever ask for. Not to mention what Len is gonna give you.”

“Yay for me.” Becky deadpans as she comes to stand behind Rosa. “The coast clear?”

“For the moment. It's one more left after this and we should be in the main lab area.”

“What if there isn't anyone there?” Becky asks

Rosa had considered that. She knows they are only checking this area because it's better to be safe than sorry. However, if they are lucky enough that the lab is empty, Rosa has her own plan, “We'll destroy everything. Research, samples, all of it. No way is anyone going to get anything out of this shit.”

“Sounds good.” They move as one

They almost run head long into another couple. It's two men, both dressed in masked costumes. Rosa has no idea who they are other than that she saw them at STAR Labs. Before either girl can react the men have grabbed one each and start rushing the other way. The one in the hockey mask yells, “You don't want to go that way!” just as they make it back around the corner Rosa had been hiding behind there is an explosion.

Rosa wriggles free and rolls away from the strangers. She sees Becky doing the same thing and relaxes slightly. The two men are busy looking at the bodies on the ground, “What happened here?” asked the one with the stupid 'T' on his face

“Justice.” Rosa looked back into the smoking hallway, “You took all my fun.”

“It's okay babe.” Becky soothes while rubbing her shoulder, “You and Mick can burn some stuff later. Daddy daughter bonding or whatever.”

“Sounds nice I guess.” Rosa turns and starts to backtrack, “Come on. We need to meet up with the boys.”

“Hold up!” the guy with the Hockey mask reaches out to touch Rosa

She reacts on instinct in the heat of battle. Before either of them can blink the man is on his knees with his hand pulled far behind him. Rosa has a foot lightly placed on the man's neck, “Rule one, you don't touch me.” she lets go and continues on her way, “Rule two is keep up or back off. We're on a mission here.”

\----------------BREAK--------------------

Len's eyes have started to adjust. He sort of wishes he were still in his fever dreams instead. His team, once so strong and unmovable, have been turned into a bunch of quivering messes. Not that he's much better. Two members already altered forever and no end to the torture in sight. It's an unspoken agreement that they gather around Shawna. They will all die before they let these bastards anywhere near that baby. Len turns and blinks slowly in Hartley's direction. He's been twitching ever since he woke up. At one point he mentioned his hearing was going crazy. Going from absolute silence to hyper hearing. No one has the courage to touch the strange metal thing behind Hartley's ears, lest they accidentally make it worse.

Though Len supposes it's only thanks to Hartley's strange new hearing that they understand the reason for the occasional shake of the ground. The cell is sound proof. Or at least it was until whatever they did to the second youngest member of their group. Hartley had first perked up and said, “I hear gunfire.” no one spoke then. If they did Hartley would more then likely scream with pain from how sensitive he was at that moment. Later comments came, “I hear someone saying my name. And Shawna's and Mark's.” after that, “I hear Ba...the Flash.” Only then did a little bit of hope spring up. The Rogues had gathered in a far corner away from the door. Didn't make the situation much better though. The room still shook with such a violence that it felt like the place would fall at any minute. Len just wished he knew what was going on outside this fucking cell!

Len blinked and almost screamed. The world had become...different. There were no longer actual pictures to represent the world around him. It was like looking at a heat vision screen. He could even see through the walls. Two cooling shapes on the ground and three warm bodies approaching the door. The medium sized blob is staggering, leaning against the wall. Len blinks again and all he can see is a metal door. He'll freak out about this later. But right now, if he isn't hallucinating, someone is coming for them. Len just hopes they're friendly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this week was crazy for me. And this next coming week doesn't look any better. Normally I would already have the next chapter of this written before I post but not this time. So if you don't get an update next Sunday don't freak out. I'm just adjusting to my new life, not abandoning a fic that I love. 
> 
> That being said I hope everyone enjoyed. Don't forget to drop a kudos or leave a comment. Let me know what you thought and if you have any ideas for future stories or chapters.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally it looks like there might be hope. The kids are so close to saving their family. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooooo Internet!!! It's been a long time but finally here I am again with an update. Sorry it's taken so damned long but life she is a bitch. My new job has been super busy lately. But now that 420 has passed perhaps I'll get a little time off to write more often. In the mean time I bring you a new chapter. Hope you all like it.

Rosa growled as once more the pair of Heroes tried to cut in front of her, “Hey, I told you to back up!” she gives the darker skinned one a little kick to the back of his shin. He lets out an actual whine before moving back a little, “This is our mission.”

“You're kids.” the one in the hockey mask argues

“Yeah.” Becky agrees while peering around the next corner, “Kids who duped all of you into being our distraction so we could sneak in the back way.”

The silence speaks for itself. Rosa grins and rewards her girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek while whispering, “Nice one sweetheart.”

“Still mad at you.” Becky reaches to her vest and fingers the two knives that remain there, “A couple lab coats down there. Look shaken and armed. Libel to shoot at anything that moves.”

“Alright.” Rosa shoots a look over her shoulder and snaps, “Hey hockey mask dude!”

“It's Wild Dog!” he snaps back

“Whatever.” Rosa points at the guns on his hips, “Those just for show or can you actually use them?”

“What do you think?” Wild Dog drew his weapons and slipped off their safeties

“I think I want you to jump out and start shooting. It's not far to the other hallway. You just need to draw fire for a few seconds until you make cover.” Rosa shifted her gaze to Becky, “You know what to do after that right?”

“I know the drill by now.”

“You think I'm going to take orders from you?”

Rosa didn't give him a chance to argue. She simply grabbed him and pushed him toward the open space. His reflexes kicked in when he broke cover and he raised his guns to fire. It didn't take long for the armed scientists to spot the hero. As Wild Dog jumped for the safety of the adjacent hallway Becky ducked down and rolled around the corner. Her arms moved like blurs. The bullets stopped with a pair of screams. Rosa hopped over Becky's back and charged for the end of the hallway that led to their goal. The two scientists lay on the ground, blood flowing from fresh wounds. Rosa didn't care about their pleas for help as she brought a round house kick across both of their faces. She spit down on their still forms, “Bitches.”

“Holy crap!” the idiot with the 'T' face knelt down next to the downed men. His hands hovered over one of their injuries, “This knife wound is serious. I think it hit an artery.”

“Good.” Rosa ripped the throwing knife from the man's leg without hesitation. While the heroes sputtered about arterial bleeds Rosa returned the knife to Becky, “Good aim.”

“Always.” Becky took the knife back and used a black cloth to wipe off the blood, “Lets keep moving. The boys probably need our help by now.”

\------------BREAK-----------------------------

“This is it right?” Mitchel asked excitedly as Brandon glared at the keypad before him

“Yeah.” Brandon raised his eyes to the metal door in front of him, “They're on the other side of the door.”

“Mommy!” Mitchel yelled as he raised his tiny fists and began banging against the door, “Daddy! We're here!”

“Mitchel!” Thomas shouted from behind them. Brandon turned to see the teen slumped against the wall. Ever since firing that gun in the vent the younger boy had been deaf to everything. That meant he couldn't tell he was yelling, “You need to calm down! There could still be bad guys around!”

Brandon motioned with his hand for silence while reaching down and gripping Mitchel's shoulder tight with his other hand, “Shut it the both of you.” the boys fell silent. Brandon returned his gaze to the panel and muttered angrily, “Fucking key card isn't working. And I don't know the override code.”

“That's because only I have the card to open the door.” a deep male voice growled from the entrance to the small hallway. They all turned to see a man standing in the small doorway they had just come through. His hair was as white as his lab coat. His face was contorted into a snarl of rage as he snapped, “You've ruined everything you little bastards!” he raises a smallish gun in shaking hands, “I'll kill you!”

“NO!” Brandon moved before he had time to think. He made it half way down the short hallway before the first shot. By the end of the second shot Brandon made contact with the scientist. When they hit the ground together Brandon cried out. His side felt like it was on fire.

“Brandon!” he registered the high pitched scream of terror as he was pushed off the scientists

A fist hit Brandon in the gut before there was the quick pop of several gunshots at once. No more blows fell but there was plenty of screaming. Brandon's eyes fluttered open, he wasn't sure when he had closed them, “Rosa?” he saw the shades of familiar red in his blurred vision

“Brandon!” drops of something warm and wet hit Brandon's face

“Rosa?” Brandon blinked a few more times, “Where is that guy?”

“The one who shot you?” Brandon managed to nod a little, “He's dead.” she answered darkly

“Good.” Brandon hissed as something hard squeezed his side. His vision cleared enough where he could see a hero in a hockey mask kneeling next to him. The guy is holding some sort of shirt to Brandon's side. The fabric is slowly being stained with blood, “Shit.” he takes his eyes away so that he doesn't have to look at that anymore. Brandon's gaze falls on the dead scientist. There is a blade sticking out of the old man's neck, “He's got a key card.” Brandon gasps around the pain that is suddenly increasing, “It opens the door.”

“Easy buddy. Try not to talk too much.” another hero, this one with a 'T' on his face, says as he kneels down on Brandon's other side

“Listen to the idiots.” Rosa says as she stands, Becky at her back. Brandon looks around a little more and can see Thomas and Mitchel. The kid is crying while Thomas holds him tightly. The teen looks like he's only seconds from tears himself. 

Brandon fixes his team with a glare, “Get the card. Get our family.” the pain increases again and Brandon lets out a yell, “Damnit!”

“I know it hurts kid.” the guy in the hockey mask hisses, “But I gotta keep this pressure.”

“Just get on with it.”

“We will.” is Rosa's answer. She walks over to the dead scientists and starts going through his pockets. When she finds the card she holds it up for all to see, “Let's finish this.”

\----------------BREAK-------------

“My baby.” Shawna sobs quietly as she reaches an empty hand for the door

“No Shawna.” Mark replies with a thick voice as he holds her closer, “We can't get near that door. It could be a trick.”

“But I heard him.” she whimpers, “He's calling for us Mark.”

“We all heard him.” Mick growls and frowns over at Len. The man has been staring at nothing for the last two minutes. Hartley has returned to a shivering mess in Axel's lap. Roy looked like he was going crazy, limbs twitching randomly and his eyes sweeping around the room. The Meta has said very little over the last few days. If they don't get out of here soon he might actually snap, “Something is happening.”

“And all we can do is wait.” Axel growls around his own tears, “This is so much bullshit.”

“Amen to that kid.” Mick stiffens when he hears a soft click. On instinct he stands and spreads his legs. He's the biggest member of the Rogues. He'll use that size to protect his friends. Micks fists clench as the metal door to their prison opens at almost slow motion speed. When he sees a familiar red haired head peek around he blinks, “Rosa?

“Dad!” she's got tears in her eyes as she rushes across the tiny room and practically throws herself into his arms. She holds him tightly and continues to cry into his chest, “I'm so happy you're alive.”

“Dad?” Mick asks in a half whisper as he wraps his arms around Rosa in return

“Seems appropriate.” a voice says in the door way. Becky is standing there. It's now that Mick notices what the girls are wearing. Black body armor and weapons on full display. 

That's all the time he gets to observe before another small body bursts through the open door. It's Mitchel. He doesn't yell like Rosa did. He simply charges forward and collides with the open arms of his waiting parents. It's only Len's sudden movement that distracts Mick from the touching reunion. The leader of the Rogues is stumbling to his feet, eyes still staring blankly ahead, “Who else?” he asks in a harsh whisper 

“What?” Becky asks as she steps forward slightly to meet Len half way across the room

“Who else did you bring? Who's bleeding?”

“Bleeding!” Mick pulls Rosa away from him and runs his eyes over her looking for blood

“It's not me.” Rosa sniffs and points at the door, “It's Brandon. Some asshole scientist shot him.”

“Oh God.” Becky is covering her mouth with both hands and staring in horror at Len's face, “Mr. Snart...are you blind?”

“Not quit.” Len reaches out a hand and grabs the teen's shoulder while making a vague gesture to the left, “Take me to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it. Hope it was worth waiting for. If you like it be sure to let me know with a kudos or a comment. And I'm always taking story ideas if you want to share. Have a great weekend everyone!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to blow this popsicle stand!

It had been a strange thing to watch. The moment Mitchel's voice had come from the other side of the door Len had gotten context for his strange visions. The tiny heat blob was Mitchel. That meant there were at least two other kids out there in that hallway with two dead bodies. Len watched as a new figure appeared and lifted what had to be an arm. Len knew that stance. The new figure had to be holding a weapon. Len's breath left his chest as he watched the tallest of the three original blobs charge at the newest signature. What followed was lost on Len because the heat vision vanished. Len focused on getting it back with everything he had. When the signatures returned there was a lot of change. There was a large heat blob that had to be several people all gathered around on the floor. A slowly cooling body lay abandoned not far from there. Mitchel and the other blob from before were still over by the doorway to the cell the Rogues were inside of. Len squinted when he noticed a puddle of warmth growing on the ground. Fear took hold of his heart. 

Len watched as more blobs moved around before coming to the door. When the door finally opened and they entered Len's vision converted back to the blurry darkness that was his new reality. He heard enough to form a rough picture of what he had seen. The kids had somehow come to the rescue. One of them was injured, “Who else?” he asks around his dry throat while stumbling to his feet

“What?” Becky's voice asks from somewhere in front of Len. A blur appears and a small hand touches his arm.

“Who else did you bring? Who is bleeding?” he can't get that image out of his mind. A puddle of heat that was growing far too quickly

“Bleeding?!” Mick's voice is frantic and fearful

Len hears some ruffling before Rosa's voice says shakily, “It's not me. It's Brandon. Some asshole scientist shot him.”

Len hears a swift intake of breath and the hand vanishes from his arm, “Oh God.” That's Becky's voice, “Mr. Snart...are you blind?”

“Not quit.” Len reaches out a hand and takes hold of the edge of the blur in front of him. He makes a gesture at where he had seen that heat signature, “Take me to him.”

Len is proud of Becky for not asking any questions. She simply takes hold of his arm and slips another arm around his waist, “This way.” 

As they walk out Len hears Mick rally the others. His rough voice reminding everyone that time is not on their side. Len pauses for a moment when he hears Hartley scream a little. Lisa calls out for him to go on. That they'll be right there. Len forces himself to continue on. Hartley is just going to have to wait until they're safe to get help.

\----------BREAK----------------

“Don't fall asleep kid.” Rene grunts as the teen's eyes flutter

“Wasn't planing on it hero.” 

“What is it with you kids and saying that like it's a bad thing?” asks Curtis as he fiddles with something from his pocket

“Heroes don't do much for us most of the time.” the kid takes a deep breath in and coughs. Rene tries to ignore the small flecks of red that now freckle the teen's lips, “At least the Rogues take care of us.”

“The Flash said you wanted to be a Hero.” Curtis supplied as he put the finishing touches on a weird looking syringe, “He said you told him you were going to be a better Hero than he is.”

“I already am.” the kid grins, “I planned all of this.”

“Brandon!” that voice cuts through the air like a knife. It's a voice Rene knows. He turns his head and the air is stolen from his chest.

“Aw man.” Rene can't help but whisper at the sight before him. The eyes that once saw everything were now disfigured. Ill-treated wounds surrounded them and they seemed wrong somehow. Like they weren't entirely flesh anymore. It was easy to see because they were wide and blinking. Clearly searching for sight. It made Rene want to be sick. Only as the wounded man stumbled forward did Rene even register the fact the villain was also naked. Rene forced away the petty embarrassment. Now wasn't the time to be shy. He saw Curtis already moving to remedy the situation, jacket held out to offer cover. The girl helping Snart along took it and after a whispered explanation wrapped it around his waist.

Snart sort of flopped down onto the floor and reached out to grip the teen boy by the arm, “Brandon?”

“Yeah boss?” Brandon asked with a cheeky grin. Though his lips were smiling his eyes shown with fear. Probably at the sight of Cold's face.

Cold let out a slightly hysterical bark of laughter, “You stupid kid.”

“Snart!” arms wrapped around Cold from the left as another young boy appeared. The angle his head was at gave Rene a clear view of the blood trickling from the teen's ears. That probably explained the yelling, “I'm so happy you're alive!”

“Thomas.” Cold managed to get an arm around the kid, “It's good to hear your voice.”

The biggest man Rene had ever seen was suddenly looming over them. The red haired girl was latched to his side, “We gotta get out of here.”

“Derek...waiting.” Brandon managed to get out around pained gasps

“Derek is here?” asked a perfectly average looking man who was helping to support a woman with a swollen middle down the hallway

“He's our getaway driver.” there was the smallest kid who had been at STAR Labs before. He was being carried by a guy with shaggy brown hair and a hard jaw. The guy was holding on to the tiny boy for dear life. Must be his dad.

“You've got to be kidding me.” a woman with deep brown hair said with a shocked look on her face.

“The fighting has almost stopped.” said another naked man, this one about twenty years younger than Snart. He had blood on his neck and was being helped along by another young man.

“How do you know that?” Curtis asked as he seemed to finish messing with his doohickey

“I can hear it.” the young man practically whimpered, “I can hear everything now.”

Rene saw the other young man move his lips but no sound came out. At least nothing that Rene could hear. Whatever it was seemed to brought his partner comfort. Everyone was returned to the moment when the kid on the ground screamed. Curtis had stuffed the end of his machine into the fresh bullet wound. Rene hadn't even had time to register his hands being shoved aside. There was a strange sound, like Styrofoam being pushed through a small tube. Green foam started to peek out of the edges around where the plastic syringe entered Brandon's side. When Curtis removed the tool he found himself with a hand on his throat. Seems Snart wasn't as weak as he looked, “What the hell was that?” he asks in a dangerous growl

Rene resists the urge to reach out and pull Snart away from Curtis. Any sudden movement might set off the rest of the Rogues who all seemed seconds away from murder after that scream. Curtis choked a little and replied in a raspy voice, “I sealed off the wound. It's an organic compound that can be used to cauterize without causing degenerative tissue damage.”

“It's not bleeding anymore!” Thomas yelled as he leaned in to examine the area, “That's so cool!”

“Why is Thomas yelling?” the brown haired woman asked

“He damaged his eardrums.” Rene answered while pointing to his own ears, “He's bleeding a little.”

“So that's two men down.” Snart had released Curtis and started looking around. Rene jumped a little when that gaze drifted over him. Snart's eyes were glowing a slight red. Once the man had finished looking around in an almost complete circle he nodded, “Alright, I've got a safe direction.” he points to the left at the nearest wall, “That way is clear.”

“How do you know that?” asked the obviously pregnant woman

“I can see heat signatures. Looks like it works through at least three wall. Hard to tell though.” Snart's tone was perfectly neutral as he staggered to his feet. The girl returned to support him quickly. The deaf boy, Thomas, took up supporting Snart's other side.

Rene actually had to swallow back his vomit. Barry had said the Rogues were being experimented on. But it had only been a few days. How could something like this happen in such a short amount of time? Rene was taken from his private thoughts when he heard the teen next to him give a tiny yell of pain. Curtis was trying to heft the boy up by himself. Rene rolled his eyes and leaned down to assist. Once everyone was ready to move they headed out. It was almost terrifyingly quiet now that most of the fighting had stopped. Bodies lay in random locations. Some would eventually wake. Some wouldn't. Rene paused for a few seconds next to a particularly large pile of bodies. The tiny boy in the brown haired man's arms grinned wide and said proudly, “I did that daddy!”

The smile the man gives his son is both proud and sad, “Sorry you had to buddy. Daddy wasn't fast enough to save himself. Made you do all the work.”

“It's okay.” the kid hefted himself up and looked over his father's shoulder. He spoke to the pregnant lady, “Is my baby sister okay mommy?”

“She's fine baby.” the woman offered a little smile, “I'm so proud of you Mitchel. My brave little man.”

Everyone jumped when there was a shrill beep from Thomas's pocket. The teen didn't seem to notice. He was poking at one of the bodies with his foot. The red haired girl rolled her eyes and then ran over to Thomas. She fiddled with his pants, getting a squeal of protest from the younger teen. The girl produced a walkie talkie and pushed the talk button, “It's still radio silence Derek!” she snapped harshly. When there was no answer she sighed and said, “Over.”

“You guys were late, I was worried.” said a young male voice over the speaker, “All of the fighting has stopped outside. You won't have that as cover anymore. Over.”

“Doesn't matter. We'll be out of here in about 5 minutes. Wait for the signal and then break cover. Don't get out of the car to help load. We need you ready to peel out. Over and out.” there was no more response. The girl gave the Talkie back you Thomas and then turned to face them all, “You get all that Brandon?”

“Got it.” Brandon replied weakly, “Let's get going. We're running out of time.”

As the group continued onward Rene asked, “Where are you guys going once you get out of here?”

“STAR Labs.” Brandon said in a slightly winded tone, “We'll get Doc Snow to fix everyone up.”

“She's gonna be so pissed.” the large man growled in a fond tone, “Can't wait to see her.”

“We know dad.” the red haired teen said from the large man's side

“I like when you call me that.” the big man reached over and pulled the teen close to his chest, “Feels right.”

“That's what I've always said.” the girl helping Snart walk said snarkily, “And just so you know Mick, your daughter promised me the world from you. That includes all the therapy I'm gonna need from saving your ass.”

“You're really grumpy today.” was Mick's only response

Eventually they made it outside. There was a man laying dead not too far away. Brandon nodded in the direction he wanted them to go. Once they got close to the fence Rene could see where an opening had been cut. There was no way that everyone was fitting through that tiny hole. Apparently that wasn't the plan though because Brandon told them to stop before they were very near. He then looked over slowly at Mitchel, “Your turn.”

Mitchel climbed down from his father's arms and took a determined stance in the grass. The small child started rubbing his hands together as if trying to warm them. Rene's eyes widened when a green glow started to form. A few seconds later the kid threw his hands into the air. A green ball of light shot up and after rising several dozen feet it exploded like a firework. Shortly after a sound came from the tree line. Snapping and grinding and a nice sounding engine. Rene watched as a large black van exploded from the forest and headed straight for the gate. It's sides were covered in some sort of metal sheeting. It looked like a patch job but it covered most of the vulnerable areas. The gate never stood a chance. A helmeted head popped out of the driver's side window as the van screeched to a halt, “GET IN!” a young voice, the same one from the radio, shouted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading as always! If you liked it don't forget to drop a kudos or leave take a few seconds to write a short comment. The next chapter should be up in about a week. Have a great weekend everyone!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit! Has it really been almost a month. For the love of Captain Cold that's a long time. Sorry about that. Real life is a bitch sometimes. In fact, life is such a bitch that even after all this time I've only managed to write half a chapter. But it's better than nothing and I hate making you all wait like this cause of my stupid reality. So here is something to tide you over until I write more. I hope you enjoy!

Lisa knew the moment Lenny started stumbling for the door of their cell that the nightmare was over. She also knew that Lenny, and now Mick, were in no state to take much charge. Luckily she only had to get everyone out of their prison before a plan was put in place for them. Once the car showed up though the chaos truly set in. Trying to figure out who was going in first and who was sitting where was tough. It was also the only thing the kids hadn't planned for. Lisa took charge almost on instinct, “Shawna gets in first, middle seats!” she snapped over the loud arguing voices. Silence fell for only a moment before her orders were followed. While Roy and Mark helped Shawna into the back seat Lisa turned her eyes to the heroes holding up Brandon, “He goes in the back area. Mick, you and Rosa keep pressure on his wounds.”

“You got it.” Mick rumbled as he practically snatched Brandon from the arms of the Star City boys

When the pair of heroes moved to follow Lisa got in their way, “We don't have the room. Get back the way you got here.” she shifted her gaze to Hartley and Axel, “He sits next to Shawna. You and Mark on either side.” she spoke directly to Axel. The way Hartley was blinking at the ground indicated the boy couldn't hear right now. Lisa took a deep breath to stop a scream of rage while the youngest Rogue moved to follow her orders

“I wanna sit in mommy's lap.” a stern voice said from Lisa's side

She smiled down at Mitchel, “Of course sweetie.” she plucked the small child from the ground and handed him to Becky, “Get in the back and help Rosa any way you can. Pass Mitchel over the seat once you get back there.”

“Got it.” Becky traded her hold on Lenny for holding Mitchel before climbing into the trunk area

Thomas was looking around with a worried expression on his face. Lisa cursed the boy's lack of hearing. At least Hartley had some experience with it. She addressed Lenny with a slightly teasing tone, “Looks like we'll have to squeeze into the front big brother. Think Thomas will mind sitting on my lap?”

Lenny snarked back at her but with a weak smile, “How about you sit in my lap instead. You always make a good blanket.”

Lisa felt tears form in her eyes. Her brother's voice was shaking. His eyes were closed and bleeding. Lenny's mask was just managing to stay in place even now, “Let's get out of here.”

Derek drove like a European Taxi driver. The world passed by in a blur of color and sounds. Every turn brought the large van up onto two wheels. Mick and Rosa screamed from the back about needing to go faster still. Derek screamed about doing his best. There was one final scream that silenced everything. It came from Hartley who wailed about the noise. Somehow the wounded sound from his mouth was enough to quiet everyone. The young man still trembled and whimpered with every car horn and passing vehicle. When they arrived at STAR things got chaotic once again. Lisa tried to take control but she was no match for the wrath of Caitlin Snow.

The woman slammed the side door open, took everything in with a sharp gaze, and shouted, “I want Brandon in my ER now! Mick, prep a bed. I'll scrub up.” she pointed at Shawna as Mick, Becky and Rosa scrambled out, “I want you showered, changed, and fed in the next hour. I want to talk someone through taking your blood. I'll run a sample later. Get sleep if you can.” Shawna and Mark both nodded but made no move to shift right away. Caitlin's eyes fell on Hartley and for a moment they became soft with worry, “Cisco is just inside the door. Get Hartley to him and see if he can figure out that tech. Once he does I'll be able to do something.” Axel offered a grateful nod and started to usher Hartley out of the car. In the end Hartley let out one final whimper before going limp, his hearing overload finally too much for him. Roy helped Axel carry the unconscious Rogue towards the front doors. When Snow's eyes landed on the four people in the front seat they were calm but deadly serious, “He'll need to see Cisco too.”

“Poor choice of words Doc.” Lenny quipped as he started to remove Lisa from his lap

Snow glanced at Thomas, “He'll need to be examined to make sure there isn't any permanent hearing loss.”

“I'll look after him.” Derek volunteered as he removed his helmet from his head. The boy was shaking with adrenaline, a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth, “You take care of the boss.” he added, “Please.” when Snow glared at him

“Not your boss kid.” Lenny said as Lisa helped him out of the car

“Not yet.” Derek corrected firmly

Once Lisa stood she helped Lenny out of the car. When Thomas tried to follow Derek held him back. The ride seemed to have given Lenny a bit of his strength back because he wasn't leaning on Lisa as much during their walk to the Loading Bay of STAR Labs. Cisco was already there with a small flashlight. Hartley was still unconscious and Axel was kneeling down next to the medical gurney his lover was placed on. Cisco turned when they got closer and he let out a loud hiss, “Shit Snarts.”

“Eloquent as ever Ramon.” Lenny half-snapped even as his knees started to shake, “Got room for one more?”

“Oh!” Cisco blinked and moved quickly. He pulled another gurney out of the hallway and helped Lisa put Lenny on it. Lenny let out a satisfied grunt once his head laid down. When his eyes started to close Cisco laid a hand on his chest, “Not yet man. You gotta keep those peepers open for me.”

“Seriously?” Lenny tried to bat the younger man away but was too weak to put up much of a fight. When Cisco's light came out to play again Lenny growled, “Stop shining that in my damn eyes!”

“Can you even really see it?” Cisco asked in horrified fascination, “Cause this looks like you've lost most of your human vision.”

“What do you mean human vision?” Lisa asked in a half whisper

“His eyes have been fused with some sort of high tech camera system. I've never seen anything like this outside of a Science Fiction movie or a Future Tech lecture.” that tone was really starting to bother Lisa. She tried to ignore it. Cisco was an Engineer, a scientist. It was natural for him to be interested in this sort of thing. 

Despite knowing all of this she still took a tight hold of his shoulder, “Stop treating this like a damn experiment!” she snapped, “That's my brother!”

“Easy Lisa.” Lenny said before Lisa could start getting more physical with the stunned scientist, “Let the kid do his job. He's good at it for a reason. Besides, the more he figures out the better I'll be able to live with it.”

“Live with it!” Lisa almost screamed, “What do you mean live with it?!” she turned to a grim looking Cisco, “What does he mean?”

“Lisa...his eyes are basically gone. The implants replaced most of the living tissue. The fact he can still register anything not coming through a camera is a miracle. The best thing I could do now is make sure this heals correctly so the implants work properly.”

Lisa strikes before she knows what she's doing. Between one blink and another Cisco lays on the ground holding his cheek. He spits blood on the ground as Lisa registers the ache in her knuckles, “How dare you.” she can't manage more than a choked whisper, “How dare you say that.”

“Lisa...”

Lisa looks back at her brother, “Lenny?”

His eyes are wide open and looking directly at her. They glow a strange green instead of red like before. With a shaking hand he reaches up to cradle her cheek. Lisa leans into the slightly cool touch, “Lisa, you need to accept this. I have.” the first tear falls down her brother's cheek, “I need you to be here for me sis. Just this once I need you to look out for me. I don't think I can do it on my own this time.”

“You never had to you moron.” Lisa replies automatically as her own tears fall

“I'm going to do my best to help.” Cisco said as he got off the ground. His eyes shifted over to where Axel was hovering and whimpering over Hartley's still form, “I'll do my best to help all of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, the modifications are permanent. And yes, I will be including these new versions in my Rogue Child Services story. But don't fear because what seems like a crappy situation is gonna turn out super cool. You just gotta give it time. Have a great week everyone!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family recovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited and posted right before work. Enjoy!

Brandon first realized he was awake when he heard half whispers in a familiar tone, “Did you even really do anything?” Len's voice fills Brandon with relief. They made it, “The only heroes there were the newbies.”

“Apparently we were the distraction.” an amused female voice responds, “The boys aren't happy about that.”

“They shouldn't be too ashamed. My kids are smart.”

“Your kids?”

“Damn right my kids.” Len's voice holds not a single hint of doubt, “If they weren't mine they wouldn't have been able to spring the Rogues.”

“Not without consequences.” a short pause. When the female speaks next she sounds hesitant but serious, “They could have gotten themselves killed.”

“I'm aware.” Len says, his tone no different than before, “And so are they.” Len sighs, “Sara, you know what this world is like. You've seen the worst of it. So have those kids. They aren't blind.” a bitter chuckle

“You aren't blind Len.” the woman's, Sara's, voice gets softer, “Cisco says you'll have perfect vision when you heal.”

“Yeah.” Len says sarcastically, “X-ray vision, heat vision, night vision...”

“Don't forget the regular cameras he installed.” Sara countered, “It should look perfectly normal.”

Len snorted, “Normal.” the sound of rustling, could be sheets. That's when Brandon realized he was laying on something soft and surrounded by warm blankets. He had a strange fuzzy feeling all over, including his head. That was probably the only reason this conversation wasn't freaking him out.

Brandon could vaguely remember what Len had looked like. The man's eyes glowing and bleeding while he hobbled along at a snail's pace. Brandon also remembered his own injury. As if summoned by the thought pain blossomed in his gut, “Argh.” he managed to groan. Brandon tried to open his eyes but he was just so damned weak.

“Easy kid.” a hand touched Brandon's forehead. Len's voice somehow made the pain lessen, “Everything is gonna be fine.”

“Can't...words...fuzzy.” Brandon really needed to find out what was making him feel this way. His mind felt like it was drowning under cotton candy and his tongue wasn't cooperating

A soft chuckle, “I think he's talking about the pain meds Leonard.” Sara's voice again

“Ah.” the hand on Brandon's forehead traveled back to run fingers through his hair, “Don't worry about that Brandon. It's just the medicine the Doc gave you. She had to give you a lot the first few days. In another few she'll lower it again. You'll be able to think better then.”

“Don't like.” Brandon groaned as his gut gave another throb, “Hurts still.”

“It's gonna do that for a while.” Len sighed, “It's what you get for being the big damn hero.”

Brandon used all his strength to grin and say, “Saved your ass.” the world fell away after that

\---------------BREAK-------------

“She really called you dad?” Caitlin asked with a soft smile while running her hand up and down Mick's chest

“Yeah.” Mick sighed happily as he slid farther down into the break room couch, “Only good thing to come out of this mess.”

“You're all alive.” Caitlin countered, her motions pausing, “I think that might be worth celebrating.”

“Not whole doll.” Mick let his large hand squeeze Caitlin's tiny shoulder where it lays, “Lenny might never see normal again. Hartley is trying to figure out how to control that gear in his head without using a remote. Brandon is still days away from being awake more than a few minutes at a time. Hell, the kid lost half his fucking liver for our sorry butts.”

“You'll figure it out.” Caitlin's hand slid up Mick's chest and took a soft hold of his chin. She moved his head slowly until they were looking into each others eyes, “ _We'll_ figure it out.”

Mick's rumbling chuckle filled the small room, “That's big talk Doc.” while his mouth smiled his insides churned with nerves. He and Caitlin had been together for a few months now. The most serious thing they ever talked about had to do with Mick's or Caitlin's pasts. Not their possible future together. A future that Mick had been thinking about while under the assumption that he was going to die as a science experiment. Being confronted with it so suddenly was both wonderful and frightening. Mick swallowed, “This mean you wanna stick around?”

“I thought we decided I was sticking around when you introduced me to everyone.” Caitlin teased with a soft smile. When Mick didn't respond right away that smile turned into a frown, “Are you having second thoughts.”

“Hell no!” Mick snapped a little louder than he might have needed to, “Why would I ever have second thoughts about you? You eat the meals I make you and buy me drinks and listen to sappy 70's music with me. You also have the most delicious pair of lips.” Mick leaned down steal a quick but steamy kiss, “I'd never leave you doll.”

“Hey Pop!” Rosa came running into the room with a wide grin, “The nerd figured out how to work Hartley's new ear things!” Rosa slides to a stop and rolls her eyes, “Is now really the time for a make out session?”

“I should be asking you that.” Mick teases without missing a beat. He points at Rosa's neck, “Is that a hickey missy?”

“What?!” Rosa's cheeks go flame red and she runs over to where a mirror hangs over the break room sink, “I made Becky swear not to leave any marks!” when the teen can't find any discoloration her emotion changes from embarrassed to enraged, “Not funny Pop.”

Mick's brow furrows, “I thought I was Dad?”

Rosa shrugs as she heads for the door, “I'm trying a few different ones out. Seeing which one I like best.”

“Fair enough.” Mick starts stretching out his legs, “We'll be at the lab in a minute sweetheart. Go let them know.”

“On it.” Rosa vanishes as quickly as she appeared

“Sometimes I swear that girl is a speedster.” Mick says with amusement as he untangles himself from Caitlin

“You can't blame her for being excited. Being able to properly control Hartley's new implants is a big step forward. It'll probably help us better understand Leonard's as well.” Caitlin points out while doing a little stretching of her own

\---------------BREAK-------------

“I look like a jackass.” Len said bluntly as he examined himself in the mirror

“If the shoe fits.” Cisco quipped. He yelped when Lisa smacked the back of his head. He rubbed the new sore spot while explaining, “Given the location of the modification my options were limited. Sure, I can make you special contact lenses to make your eyes look perfectly normal. But those are only good until you go all terminator and your eyes start glowing red or green or whatever. These glasses will help hide the light and also allow you to switch between functions easier. They work off the same frequency as the chip we found in your head.”

Len frowned as he remembered the chip. Apparently it had been implanted so he could change between eye functions with a mere thought. Hartley had a similar device implanted. It was the only part of the tech that didn't work properly for either of them. Cisco had already created a sort of dial device he had fused to the tech behind Hartley's ear. The weird looking glasses Len wore now were supposed to be his solution to his problems, “I can't walk around like this all the time.” Len reached up and ran a hand over the light blue frames, “I'll scare the kids.”

“You don't have to wear them all the time.” Cisco corrected. He stepped forward and moved Len slightly to the left. The new angle revealed a small series of buttons on one side of the frames, “Here, it's easy. Green button is for night vision. Red button is for x-ray vision. Orange button is for thermal vision. The white one will take you back to normal viewing mode. Just be careful because whatever vision you have when the glasses are on is the one you'll be stuck with when they come off.”

“I think it looks awesome.” everyone turns to look at Brandon. The kid appears much better now that he's able to sit up and doesn't sleep for 23 hours a day. He's even smiling as he continues, “Very evil mastermind.”

Len gives a thoughtful hum and returns to examining his image, “I suppose it would be good for intimidation purposes. Hides more of my expression.” Len runs his fingers over the dark blue wool of his sweater sleeves, “Might need to get a new outfit.”

“I can totally do...” Cisco is half way through his proposal when he stops, “Nope, not gonna happen. I just gave you enough of an advantage over the good guys.”

“It was for a good cause baby.” Lisa's arms wrap around Cisco's neck and shoulders. Len rolls his eyes when she kisses the genius on the cheek hard enough to leave a SWAK, “We would have been lost without you.”

“Don't flatter him Lisa.” Len says as he starts pushing the buttons on the side of his glasses to make sure they work, “I'm sure Hartley could have come up with something.”

Lisa snorted, “Sure. If he and Axel can stop sucking face for 5 minutes.”

Brandon shuddered from his place on the bed not far away, “I woke up to that. It was nasty. Like they were trying to eat each other or something.”

“All part of growing up kiddo.” Lisa assured him with a sweet smile, “Some day you'll find someone you want to eat whole too.” her grip tightens on Cisco and the Meta gulps

Len hits the while button and removes the glasses. It's still strange to take in the world like this. Sometimes he can even be fooled into thinking what he's seeing is normal. But then something flickers or he'll notice the slight rainbow effect on the edge of his peripheral vision. The most noticeable difference is that the color orange is never 100% the way he remembers it. At least he isn't plagued by pain 24/7 anymore. The scars around his eyes have started to fade already thanks to a salve Caitlin had provided. 

“We should have a party.” 

“What?” Lisa blinks at her brother, “Where did that come from?”

“I was just thinking we have a lot to be thankful for.” Len turns to face the three other people in the room, “Despite some major injuries we all came out of this mess. Shawna didn't loose the baby. And you kids proved you can handle yourselves in a crisis. I really think that what everyone needs now is some time to relax and celebrate being alive.”

“That's very deep of you.” Lisa teased

“Will there be dip?” Cisco asked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is. I hope you all enjoyed. Have a great day!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters will be coming when I have time to write. Life is crazy for me right now. As always please let me know your thoughts with a kudos or a comment.


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